At the same time, each of these women manages to contribute time to the community and family.

Paulette
First Vice President and financial consultant Paulette Reed joined the firm in 1980. “I am a financial adviser for the whole family,” she says of her clients. When meeting with a prospective client, she’ll discuss the client’s 401K or other retirement plans, their personal and professional goals, education for children or grandchildren, and care for aging parents. “I believe the first priority is to find out what the client needs, based on investment time frame, liquidity, and risk tolerance.” Armed with this information she begins her search for investments best suited to the individual client and offers life-long planning as well solutions for the family’s financial needs. “I feel I provide an essential service and only become successful after I help others reach their goals.”

Paulette is married to Chip Fenner and has four stepchildren, ranging from age 22 to 28. She received her undergraduate degree at Henderson State College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, before doing graduate work at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She supports the Circle of Friends program at University of New Mexico Hospital and served on the board of St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation for many years. She has been an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Albuquerque for 18 years.

Linda
Vice President and financial consultant Linda Richins joined RBC Wealth Management in 1998. She specializes in managing individual portfolios, using her own research to find the best in stocks and tax-free bonds to help her clients manage their finances. She especially likes to work with young people just starting out in the workforce to educate them on the importance of retirement planning. “I’ve seen too many people with no savings for retirement and buried in credit card debt,” she says. “It’s a sad situation to see someone backed into a corner. Never carry a credit card balance!” She wishes high schools would teach students about budgeting, debt management, and retirement saving. She has worked with high schools in the past and would be interested in doing so again.

Linda is a native of Albuquerque and graduated from Cibola High School before entering banking school. She serves on the community board of the Unser Racing Museum Foundation and is an honorary member of the Bernalillo County 4-H. She and her husband, Kent, have a son and daughter-in-law serving in the Navy, and are parenting their granddaughter. Practicing what she preaches, Linda had her son start his first
IRA when he was only 15.

Aileen
Vice President and financial consultant Aileen Gallegos, also an Albuquerque native, is a graduate of Valley High school and UNM. She and Realtor husband Anthony have five daughters, two of whom have followed Aileen’s lead and have double-majored in business management and finance with a minor in economics. “My grandparents were first-generation immigrants from Mexico. One of my grandmothers came here with just the clothes on her back and raised five children to appreciate the value of an education. My father double-passed grades twice and graduated from high school at 16 and from college at 20 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. My parents were persistent, hardworking, and intelligent and I’ve mothered my children to inherit those skills.”

Aileen goes on to say that “we don’t do a good enough job teaching people about money. My job is to be a teacher and ongoing coach for my clients to understand the importance of what money can do for them. My intention is to include the whole family in the investment planning process and I work with attorneys and CPAs to make it all happen.”

Aileen serves on the board for the Ronald McDonald House, RBC’s Women’s Association of Financial Consultants, and co-chairs, along with her daughter, Alicia, the national liaison sponsorship committee for the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Albuquerque race for a breast cancer cure.

Cyd
Associate Vice-President and financial consultant Cyd Ahlborn says that, “While it’s never too late to start saving for retirement, the ideal time to start thinking about retirement is when you start working.
Many companies today have retirement plans that can and should be utilized by employees. Saving can be very rewarding, and I am here to help clients get started and reach their financial goals. I enjoy getting to know each of my clients, getting to know their needs and expectations, and want to know what their plans are for the future. Even if clients are in their 50s, today is a good day to start preparing for retirement.”

She encourages people interested in investing to come in for a complimentary consultation. “A full service brokerage firm like RBC Wealth Management offers people a vast array of solutions. We have a wide support network and research within the firm that allows us to best serve our clients.” Cyd and her husband, Bob, are parents to two daughters. Cyd delights in being “Grammy” to 24-month-old Grace. Cyd’s originally from the Denver area and was educated in Colorado, and briefly flirted with a move to Boston (“Too cold!”) before joining RBC Wealth Management. She is a volunteer with Junior Achievement and works with them in whatever capacity they need.

It’s apparent that all four of these women give generously of their time and money to make Albuquerque an even better place to live. Similarly, RBC Wealth Management as a firm lends support in every area of the country where they do business through corporate giving and employee gift matching programs.

RBC Wealth Management is proud of its employee diversity and is committed to the professional development and long-term success of women who work in their client oriented company. To effectively meet the ever-changing needs of current and future clients, RBC Wealth Management has more than 140 branch offices nationwide. As a firm, RBC Wealth Management is interested in hiring and retaining top talent, particularly entrepreneurs who are interested in a financial consultant opportunity. Interested candidates should apply at www.rbc.com/careers for further consideration or call toll free (866) 685-4968.

RBC Wealth Management
(505) 883-5311
6301 Uptown Blvd, NE, Suite 100
Paulette Reed (505) 872-5902
Linda Richins (505) 872-5908
Aileen Gallegos (505) 872-5929
Cyd Ahlborn (505) 872-5923
www.rbcdain.com

Sabra Brown Steinsiek (www.sabrasteinsiek.com) is author of the prize-winning Timing Is Everything.